Technology: Inside-out motor gives Australia's sheep a cool shave

The exacting demands placed on electric sheep shears have led Australian scientists to develop a new type of electric motor which they claim not only delivers at least twice the power of other motors of the same size and speed but will also run 30 times longer without over-heating. The mini-motor could be used to operate a wide range of hand-held machines, from dental drills to power tools.

According to Vic Ramsden, an electrical engineer with the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS) and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), the new motor is 96 per cent efficient.

This efficiency means it produces less heat. Ramsden estimates that the motor will cause a temperature rise of 15 °C when it runs at a power of 150 watts. An ordinary motor of equivalent size and speed would heat up over 100 °C. An obvious benefit of lower heat levels is ...

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